painful pumps!

High heels define high fashion and they make our legs look great. But they can damage our feet! I wanted to look hot for my best friend's birthday party. I wore a black baby doll dress with funky accessories by Betsey Johnson. The final touch was my new four-inch pink peep-toe pumps. But before I left the house, my mom took one look at me and said, "Cleo, you are going to ruin your feet!" I didn't understand what she meant until that night.

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This party was really classy — not the type of party where you could make a grand entrance and take your shoes off to dance. After just one hour, my feet were in excruciating pain! My friends were complimenting me all night on my shoes, but they had no idea the price I was paying so my feet could look cute. Can the term "beauty is pain" literally be true? I read online that heels actually cause a series of problems like back pain, corns, callouses, bunions, and hammertoes. Pretty gross, right? I learned that when we wear high heels, the bones in our feet are at major disposition and they cramp up. Sadly, pointy-toe flats and non-insolated ballet flats do the same.

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Simply put, feet are not made for heels. They need cushion and support. However, if you can't imagine life without heels, choose styles with squared-off toes and shorter, chunkier heels instead of stilettos. If you aren't the wide-heel type of girl, look for thicker soles to absorb shock better. And more important, don't wear heels for too long.

CG!s, are you willing to part with your heels? I'm not sure what to do!